Improvement in snapper-cleats



` M To all whom it may conce'wu i mim fim eem ette .iofLNfTl TH oizisoiv,` oF soU'THronT, MAINE;

" i "Letters Patent No. 107,738,1'datcd September 27, 1870.

` IMPROVEMENT IN SINAPPER-C'LEATS.

The Schedule referred to in` these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

Be it known that I, JOHNT. THOMSON of Sonth- `port,1in the conty-oi' Lincoln and State of Maine, l have invented a new and `useful improvedSnapper- Cleat;` and I hereby declare the following tobe a full,

clear, and exact description of said inventiomwhich will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing formt ing a part of this. specification, in which-'- Figure 1 showsa side view of same.

Figure 2, a side'section. 3, v It is common, in mackerel fishing, for several lines to be ten'ded -by one man, and'my invention has for its object a convenient means of fasteningthese lines to the vessel, so that they may be secure, and at the saine time be quickly and easily dsengagedLif necessary, `or if itis desiredpto raise or lower them in the water. I do this by fastening to tlie'railoftlle vessel `a strip or cleat,.shown` at a, to Whiclrare attached, at

regular'intervals, the snappersv or catches for holding the lines. One of theseis shown-in thedrawing, but'V in use,each line is provided with its snapper. Thesev 'snappers are attached to the cleatV by a screw passing i through thespringc on the bottom of the. cleat.

This spring is made fast to Athe'cleat at one end and loose at the other, fitting into a groove in the cleat. The screw d passes through the middle of `it into the snapper', (see fig. 2,) whichmay be drawnclose to the cleat by setting up the screw, while .the spring enables it to be raised suflciently to pass the line under it, and holds it securelyin any position. This enables the snapper to be tightened should the cleat becorne worn. lThis cleat has also the advantage of protectin g the sherlnan from the water, which otherwise is brought into the vessel by the wet lines, the outer edge of said vcleat catching the Water and running it off over the rail.

What I claini as my invention and desire to secure` by Letters Patent, is-- A snapper-cleat, which is provided with snappers b,springs c, and screws d, by which it is capable of adjustment when worn, as and for the purposes described.

JOHN T. THOMSON;

I `Witnesses:

WM. FRAHKLLN SnAvEY, GEO. E. BIRD. 

